Meet Kayla.

Kayla Kelly, an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) student at the Bridgeport Campus, initially received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, then pursued military training as a Network Intelligence Analyst.

She joined the Air Force in 2019 and completed basic training in San Antonio. After completing tech schooling in San Angelo, Texas, and Pensacola, Florida, she was stationed in San Antonio until having her son in 2021, when she moved home to be closer to her family.

“I’ve always known I wanted to work in the medical field,” she said. “Nurses have so much interaction with their patients and get to see and care for them during their most vulnerable moments – watching, encouraging and providing them with support every step through the healing process. It’s extremely rewarding to help facilitate that process and I would love to be able to do that for a living.”

Kelly learned about the WVU Medicine Aspiring Nurse Program from the Bridgeport Campus Chair, Dr. Veronica Gallo. For Kelly, the program is allowing her to have the assurance of employment after graduation, as well as a less stressful financial situation.

“While going to school, being a parent, and working part time, the financial assistance means that I get to worry less about the everyday stresses of money and working so that I can focus on my schooling to be the best nurse than I can be knowledge wise," Kelly said. “While nurses are always needed all over, it’s nice to be able to work at the hospital I have done most of my clinical rotations to feel more comfortable being a new graduate nurse."

She will fulfill her three-year employment requirement at WVU Medicine United Hospital Center working in labor and delivery. She aspires to go back to school to become a midwife.